By comparing previous studies of the Roman town of Viroconium (present day Wroxeter) with a more recent investigation it is possible to assess whether the role of computers could be seen as being beneficial to archaeological investigation. However, it must first be emphasised that each investigation has its own project design. The investigations of Wright (c.1862), Bushe-Fox (1913, 1914, 1916), Atkinson (1923-27), Kenyon (1936-37), and Barker (1966-74) all focused on the town itself, specifically the area of the Baths Basilica and the macellum. Where the Wroxeter Hinterland Project differs is that it focuses on the town and the surrounding area. The project's primary concern is not the chronology of the structures within the site itself, but to investigate the extent to which the influence of the Romans spread throughout the surrounding landscape.

This means that the site is being viewed within the context of the landscape. It will therefore produce much larger amounts of information, since the data is collected from excavation, aerial photography, and surface and sub-surface surveys. In order to incorporate previously collected data with their own, the project directors decided to digitise all data and input them into a Geographical Information System (GIS) (1). These approaches highlight differences in previous and more modern studies in both the methodologies used (non-digitised and digitised data collection), and their interpretations. This study will assess whether GIS is a useful means of data storage, and whether this method of storage has aided the interpretation of the data.

1. See White, R. Current Archaeology 157 (May 1998) 8-14.